The Simons Foundation
The Simons Foundation Fellows to Faculty Program 2027 is an international research funding opportunity designed to help talented early career scientists transition from mentored research positions into independent tenure track faculty careers. Administered through the Simons Foundation’s Autism and Neuroscience division, the programme combines substantial research funding with career development, mentorship and access to a collaborative scientific community.
The programme is intended for researchers who hold a PhD, MD, MD and PhD, or an equivalent doctoral qualification and are currently working in a mentored research training position. Applicants should be preparing to compete for faculty appointments during the upcoming academic job cycle and have a clear scientific vision for the independent laboratory they intend to establish.
The 2027 programme supports research aligned with one or more of three scientific initiatives: the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, the Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain, and the Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience. Researchers may apply to more than one area, but each application must be submitted separately and tailored to the relevant scientific mission.
The Fellows to Faculty Award is designed to support scientists at a critical stage of their careers, when they are moving from supervised research training toward independent leadership. Rather than funding only a short research project, the programme helps fellows develop the scientific direction, resources and professional connections needed to establish their own laboratories.
The central component is a three year faculty research grant worth US$600,000. Fellows may also receive an optional postdoctoral award to support them for up to two years while they pursue faculty positions.
The foundation welcomes proposals with the potential to advance basic science and encourages innovative, high risk, high reward research. Applicants may bring existing expertise in autism research or neuroscience, or apply knowledge and methods from other fields to the programme’s scientific priorities. Proposals involving theoretical and computational approaches, clinical research backgrounds, human participants and other experimental systems or models are welcome where relevant.
The 2027 application cycle is also the final request for applications for the Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain programme under this award.
• Faculty research funding: US$200,000 per year for three years, totalling US$600,000. The amount includes 20 percent indirect costs and is intended to supplement the institution’s start up package.
• Optional postdoctoral support: US$110,000 per year for up to two years while the fellow is on the academic job market.
• Postdoctoral stipend: US$85,000 per year under the optional postdoctoral award.
• Career development allowance: US$10,000 per year under the optional postdoctoral award.
• Health insurance and benefits allowance: US$15,000 per year under the optional postdoctoral award.
• Mentorship: Guidance and support during the transition to an independent research career.
• Professional development: Opportunities to strengthen academic career readiness and prepare to lead an independent research programme.
• Scientific networking: Access to a community of investigators and opportunities for peer support and collaboration.
• International eligibility: Eligible fellows may activate their awards at research institutions inside or outside the United States, subject to the foundation’s funding policies.
The optional postdoctoral award is separate from the three year faculty research grant. Applicants are not required to accept the postdoctoral component.
Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed research advances the mission of at least one eligible scientific area.
• Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative: Research aligned with the initiative’s scientific priorities concerning autism.
• Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain: Research addressing the scientific mission of the collaboration, which is accepting applications for the final time through this programme.
• Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience: Research aligned with the collaboration’s mission and scientific priorities.
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
• Hold a PhD, MD, MD and PhD, or an equivalent doctoral qualification.
• Currently occupy a non independent, mentored research training position in a faculty member’s laboratory, such as a postdoctoral position or physician scientist research fellowship.
• Have a clear scientific vision for a future independent laboratory.
• Be preparing to apply for tenure track or equivalent faculty positions during the upcoming academic job cycle.
• Not have accepted a formal offer for a tenure track faculty position or equivalent before receiving the award notification.
• Not hold substantial federal grant funding as a principal investigator, such as an NIH R01, or other principal investigator level faculty funding identified in the programme rules.
• Not hold another career development award that facilitates transition to an independent research career at the time of application or concurrently with this award.
• Not have exceeded the programme’s resubmission limit of two application years, including applications under the predecessor independence programmes.
• Demonstrate readiness to compete for a faculty position. Most successful applicants are expected to have at least one publication or preprint from their current research position.
There is no citizenship requirement. However, applicants should review the foundation’s institutional funding restrictions before applying.
Applicants must prepare a complete application through the Simons Award Manager. Required materials include:
• Proposal narrative: A PDF of no more than five pages describing the scientific vision for the applicant’s future laboratory and explaining how the proposed research aligns with the selected scientific initiative.
• Graphical abstract: A summary of the proposed research directions and their relationship to the chosen scientific area, limited to one page.
• Personnel biosketch: A PDF of no more than five pages, using the foundation’s template or the accepted SciENcv format.
• Publication list: A URL linking to a complete list of the applicant’s published work. The foundation identifies My Bibliography as the preferred option for SFARI applications.
• Personal statement: A statement of no more than one page explaining the applicant’s background, contribution to the scientific community and what they hope to gain from participation.
• Confirmation letter for the mentored training position: An official letter from the current institution confirming the applicant’s position and explaining how it meets the programme’s requirements.
• Referee letters: Required recommendation letters submitted by referees through the application system before the deadline.
• Publications and other support information: Details of relevant publications, current funding and pending funding sources.
• Optional statement: Applicants with an unusual training pathway or duration may provide an explanation of up to 100 words.
• Statement of changes: Applicants resubmitting to SFARI must provide the additional statement required by the foundation, limited to one page.
Applicants must also indicate whether generative artificial intelligence was used to develop the proposal and explain how it was used.
Applications are reviewed by Simons Foundation scientific staff and an expert review committee. Reviewers consider:
• The originality, quality and potential impact of the applicant’s scientific vision.
• The strength and clarity of the proposed research directions.
• The relevance of the research to SFARI, SCPAB or SCENE.
• The applicant’s preparedness to establish an independent laboratory.
• Readiness to compete for a faculty appointment during the upcoming academic job cycle.
• The applicant’s potential to contribute to and benefit from the programme’s scientific community.
Selected finalists will be invited to participate in a virtual interview with scientific staff and an expert review committee.
The Simons Foundation
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